The Labor enquirer., 1887-03-05
A Full Text Of the Platform
Adopted al Gin
cinnati.
Ringing Planks on Land, Trans.
portation, Money, Labor. the
Senate and PlnkertOns.
The Declaration Upon which We
Nay stand In the Coming
Do. Campaign Of 1858.

PRKAMBLE-Tho delegates OF vafioul
Industrial and reform political orssniss
tons have assem. led fscn ttir;y.s !.
sl es Az. tsrria yiss on tblse5alS,r>I-
u tfe bhh Of tie Father Of his coun
try" to view the situation Of public
affairs and advise the proper action
General discomfort prevails on the part
Of the wealth. producers; the farmers
are suffering from poverty. which has
forced the most Of them 10 mortgage
their estates, and the prices Of their pro.
ducts are 80 low as to offer no relief ex-
cept through bankruptcy.
Laborers are sinking into greater and
greater dependence; strikes are resorted
to without bringing relief because Of the
inability Of the employers in many
Ss-esfo pay living wages, while more
are driven into the streets.
Business men and collections almost
impossible. In the meantime hundreds
Of millions Of idle money which is
needed for reliefs locked up in the
United States treasury In grim mockery
Of the distress. Land monopoly four
ishes as never before, and more and
more the owners Of the soil are daily be-
coming tenants. The great transporta-
tion corporations still succeed in extort.
Ing their proAts upon watered stocks
through unjust charges.
The United States Senate has become
an open scandal, Its seats being pur-
chased by the rich In open defiance Of
the popular will.
A trifing fisheries dispute Is seized
upon as an excuse for squandering the
public money on unnecessary milia-y
preparations. which are designed to
breed spirit Of war. to ape European
despoti,m, and to empty the treasury
without paying the public debt.
Under these and other alarming con.
ditions we appeal to the people Of the
whole country to come out Of the old
party organixaii, ms whose Indifference
10 the public welfare is responsible for
this distress, aud help Us orgaaize a new
political party, not sectional, but ma
tional. whose members shall be called
Commoners whose object shall be- to
repeal all class laws In favor Of the rich,
and remove the distress Of our industries
by establishing the following principles !:
THE PLATFORM.
|. LAsD-Every human being pos
sessea the natural and inalienable right
to sufficient land for self-sdpports and
We desire to secure to every industr Gus
citizen home as the highest result to
free institutions. To this end We de-
mand agraduated land-tax on all large
estates, especially those held for specu-
latiye or tenant purposes; the reclama
ton Of all unearned land grants; the
immediate opening Of Oklahoma to
homestead settlement, and the purchase
Of all the unocupied Indian lands, and
the settlement Of the various tdbes
upon lands in severalty. Also laws
preventing corporations from acquiring
real estate beyond the requirements ol
their business, and the alien ownership
Of land; the systems Of irrigation in
the states and territories, where 1t ID
necessary, shall be under such public
control as shall secure the Tree and
equitable use Of water and the franchise
to the people.
.. TRANSFORMATION mems o
communication and transportation
should To owned or controlled bv the
people, as Is the United States postal
system, and equitable rates everywhere
established.
3. MoSKY-The establishment Of {
national monetary system IN the interes
Of the producer instead OF the Speculation
and usurer. BY which the circulating me-
dium In the necessary quantity and ol
iull legal tender shall be issued directly
to the people without the intervention
otthe banks. or loaned to citizens upoi
ample security at low rate OF inters
to relieve them from the extortions o
usury, and to enable them to control
their money supply postal-sa wings bank
should be- established. While We have
the free coinage Of gold we should have
The free coinage Of silver, We deman'
the prompt payment Of the nationa
deb, and condemn the further issue
iuterest.bearins bonds, either by tn
national government or by the states
territories, COMMITTEES or municipalities.
T. LABoR-Arbitration should tax
The place ofstrikes and other ipjuriou
methods Of settling labor disputes. Th'
letting Of convict labor to contractor
should be prohibited and the coutrsc
system should be abolished in publ
works. The hours Of labor In industris
Establishments should be reduced, com
mensura,e with the increase Of produc
lion in labor-saving machinery. the em
p'oyes to be protected from bodily In
ary, equal pay being given for eou'
work for both sexes. and the labor
agricultural aud cooperative assoc.'
tons to be fostsrsd and Incorporated b
law. The foundation Of the Rspubli